June_Training & Capacity Building
Training & Capacity Building Upcoming Webinar Publishing Research and Using Reference Managers for Effective Literature Search and Referencing Planning to publish your research or improve how you manage references? This practical session will cover: Preparing a manuscript for publication Understanding the peer-review process Efficient literature searching strategies Using reference managers (e.g., Zotero, Mendeley) Avoiding common referencing errors Date: TBC This webinar is ideal for clinicians, postgraduate students, and early-career researchers preparing theses, dissertations, or journal articles. ➡ Register here: https://forms.gle/1zEjXoy54jjtbotY8
June_Research & Innovation Watch
Research & Innovation Watch Open Science and the Future of Accessible Research A growing movement in healthcare, known as Open Science, is challenging traditional models of research access. Open Science promotes the idea that research should be freely available to everyone. Instead of restricting access through paywalls, it encourages the sharing of data, methods, and findings so that knowledge can be used widely and efficiently. This approach has significant implications for global health. When research is openly accessible, a student, clinician, or policymaker anywhere in the world can access the same information. This reduces inequality in access to knowledge and accelerates scientific progress. Open Science also improves transparency and collaboration. By making data and methods available, researchers can validate findings, build on existing work, and avoid duplication. This leads to more efficient use of resources and faster translation of knowledge into practice. However, the success of Open Science depends on systems that support quality, accountability, and responsible data use. Open access alone is not enough; it must be accompanied by strong research standards and clear communication. Ultimately, Open Science represents a shift in how knowledge is viewed, not as a private resource, but as a shared foundation for improving health outcomes.
June_Medicine Safety Insight
Medicine Safety Insight Why Poor Documentation Leads to Unsafe Care Patient safety depends not only on the medicines prescribed, but on the quality of the information that accompanies them. When documentation is incomplete or inconsistent, the healthcare system becomes vulnerable to error. A patient’s medical record is more than a file; it is a continuous account of their treatment history. If key details are missing, the next healthcare provider may make decisions based on incomplete information. One of the most common risks is incomplete records. Missing information about previous treatments, allergies, or existing conditions can lead to inappropriate prescribing or harmful drug interactions. Another critical issue is the under reporting of adverse drug reactions. When side effects are not documented or reported, important safety signals are lost. This prevents healthcare systems from learning and increases the likelihood that other patients will experience the same harm. Poor documentation also leads to weak clinical decision-making. Healthcare professionals rely on accurate data to make informed choices. When records are unclear, outdated, or incomplete, decisions become less reliable, increasing the risk of treatment failure or adverse outcomes. Improving documentation practices is therefore essential for the rational use of medicine. Clear, accurate, and consistent records ensure that the right patient receives the right treatment at the right time: safely.
June_Event Spotlight
Event Spotlight Why Research Visibility Matters in Healthcare When we talk about research visibility, we are referring to the barriers that prevent scientific knowledge from reaching those who need it most. One major challenge is unpublished research. Studies are often shared only when the results are positive or exciting. However, knowing that a treatment does not work is equally important. When such findings remain unpublished, other researchers may repeat the same ineffective approaches, wasting time, resources, and opportunities for progress. Another barrier is limited access to scientific literature. Much of the world’s research is locked behind subscription paywalls. For many healthcare professionals, especially in resource-limited settings, paying to access a single article is not feasible. As a result, valuable knowledge remains out of reach for those working closest to patients. There is also the challenge of poor dissemination. Research findings often remain confined to academic journals and conferences. Without translating this knowledge into accessible formats, such as policy briefs, training materials, or clinical summaries, the information does not reach front line healthcare providers or decision-makers. Improving research visibility is therefore not simply about publication; it is about ensuring that knowledge moves beyond academic spaces and informs practice. When research is visible, it can guide safer treatment decisions, improve outcomes, and strengthen healthcare systems.
June_From the foundation
From the Foundation Why Good Research Is Not Enough In recent issues, we explored how preventable harm occurs in clinical care and why scientific evidence must guide safer prescribing. Yet an equally important question remains: what happens when that evidence is never effectively communicated? It is a common assumption that once a study is completed, the work is done. Many health studies end as “data in a drawer.” They are conducted, analysed, and written, but never published or shared in ways that allow others to use them. Evidence cannot influence care if it is invisible. A well-designed study may offer a solution to a critical health problem, but if the clinician at the point of care is unaware of it, its impact is lost. The gap between research and practice is therefore not only about generating evidence, but about ensuring that it is accessible, understandable, and applied. Closing this gap requires more than producing new knowledge. It requires strengthening how research is communicated, shared, and translated into real-world decision-making. Without this, even the best science remains disconnected from patient care.
April_Upcoming Webinar
Upcoming Webinar Publishing Research and Using Reference Managers for Effective Literature Search and Referencing Planning to publish your research or struggling with managing references effectively? This practical webinar will focus on: 🗓 Thursday, 28 May 2026⏰ 7.45 PM This session is particularly useful for clinicians, postgraduate students, and early-career researchers working on theses, dissertations, or journal submissions. ➡ Register here
April_Research & Innovation Watch
Research & Innovation Watch Emerging ideas shaping the future of safer treatment and patient care When Artificial Intelligence Finds What Research Missed For many people living with rare diseases, the biggest challenge is often not the lack of research, but their inability to utilise the knowledge that already exists. Over decades, thousands of laboratory studies and clinical observations have been published across journals and archives. However, the sheer volume of information has become so extensive that no individual researcher or clinical team can realistically review, connect, and interpret it all. Artificial intelligence is beginning to transform this. By analysing large and complex collections of biomedical data, researchers have identified previously overlooked drug candidates that could benefit certain conditions, including rare neurological diseases. In some cases, AI systems have recognised patterns in existing research and pinpointed compounds that had been studied before but not fully understood or utilised. The significance lies not only in the specific discoveries but also in the process itself — these systems are helping to reveal meaning in information that already exists. This highlights a broader change in healthcare research: progress does not always arise from generating more data, but from gaining a better understanding of and utilising the data we already possess. In clinical practice, this ability has significant implications. AI systems can analyse electronic health records, identify subtle links between medications and adverse outcomes, and recognise patient groups at greater risk of complications. In some cases, these tools have uncovered drug interactions or safety signals that were not previously identified through traditional research methods. If effectively incorporated into healthcare systems, such technologies could assist clinicians by: However, these tools are not substitutes for clinical judgement. Their usefulness relies on how they are implemented, interpreted, and incorporated into existing healthcare systems. At its core, this innovation reveals a challenge that goes beyond technology. Across healthcare systems, valuable safety signals, treatment patterns, and clinical lessons are often found in routine data but remain underused. The gap between knowledge and patient care is not always scientific — it is informational. This is why it is vital to strengthen how healthcare systems learn from data. Pharmacovigilance, documentation, and research translation all share the same goal: to ensure information does not stay in reports and archives, but contributes to everyday clinical decisions. The lesson is straightforward but impactful: medical breakthroughs are not always concealed in the future — sometimes they lie in the past. As these tools continue to develop, they may assist clinicians in making better-informed decisions, promote safer prescribing, and reduce the time from knowledge to effective patient care. Innovation in healthcare is not only about discovering new treatments, but it is also about truly understanding and applying the knowledge we already possess.
April_Medicine Safety Insight
Medicine Safety Insight Evidence-Based Prescribing: Why Guidelines Matter One of the most effective ways to ensure that science benefits patients is through the consistent application of clinical guidelines in daily prescribing. Clinical guidelines are developed to support healthcare professionals in making informed, consistent, and safe treatment decisions. They are based on comprehensive evaluation of research evidence, expert consensus, and real-world clinical data. Nevertheless, guidelines are only effective when actively applied. In many clinical environments, prescribing choices may still depend on habit, prior training, or incomplete information rather than updated guidance. This can cause variations in care and raise the risk of adverse drug reactions, treatment failure, or unnecessary medication use. Evidence-based prescribing ensures that: Importantly, guidelines are not strict rules; they are tools to support clinical judgement. When combined with patient-specific considerations, they assist clinicians in providing care that is both personalised and scientifically valid. Enhancing access to guidelines, promoting ongoing professional development, and incorporating decision-support tools into clinical routines are vital measures for safer prescribing practices.
April_Event Spotlight
Event Spotlight World Health Day — Why Science Must Reach the Clinic Observed each April globally Observed each April worldwide, World Health Day emphasises urgent issues in global health and reminds us that better outcomes need more than just awareness — they require evidence-based action. Across healthcare systems, one of the most persistent challenges is not the lack of scientific knowledge, but the inconsistent application of it. Clinical research offers clear guidance on effective treatments, proper dosing, and risk reduction strategies. However, patients do not always benefit from these advances. In routine practice, variations in prescribing, limited adherence to guidelines, and delayed updates to clinical protocols can cause avoidable complications. This gap has real consequences. A patient may receive a medicine that is no longer considered first-line therapy, a dose that does not reflect current evidence, or a combination of drugs with known risks. These are not rare or dramatic failures; they are everyday occurrences that build up across healthcare systems and significantly contribute to patient harm. Joining our voices with World Health Day, we emphasise a key message: improving health outcomes depends on science not being limited to journals and conferences but actively guiding clinical decisions. When research is applied to practice, it enhances patient safety, increases treatment effectiveness, and eases the burden on healthcare systems. Bridging the gap between evidence and practice is not only a scientific challenge — it is a patient safety priority.
April_From the Foundation
From the Foundation From Preventing Harm to Applying Evidence in Practice In our March issue, we explored how preventable medicine-related harm contributes to serious illness and why safer prescribing must begin before patients reach intensive care. This month, we take that conversation further — focusing on a closely related challenge: ensuring that the scientific evidence guiding safer care is consistently applied in everyday clinical practice. Modern medicine is built on an ever-expanding body of scientific knowledge. Each year, thousands of studies are published, new therapies are introduced, and clinical guidelines are updated to reflect the latest evidence. However, within everyday healthcare settings, a crucial gap remains — the disconnect between what research indicates and what patients actually receive. Scientific discovery alone does not improve patient outcomes. Its impact depends on whether it is correctly interpreted, effectively communicated, and consistently applied in real clinical environments. In many cases, preventable harm occurs not because evidence is unavailable, but because it is not fully integrated into practice. Outdated prescribing habits, limited access to current guidelines, and time constraints in busy clinical settings all contribute to this gap. At the Qua Pillar Health Research Foundation (QPHRF), our focus is on bridging this gap. We emphasise transforming research into practical decisions — ensuring that evidence guides prescribing, monitoring, and patient management in significant ways. Safer healthcare isn’t just about producing new knowledge; it’s about how effectively existing knowledge is applied.